Pastor's Column for April 4, 2021

Dear Parishioners,

I am so grateful that we were actually able to celebrate the great mysteries of our faith during Holy Week, and to gather today for the greatest of all feasts, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It seems so surreal that we were not together last year for Easter but thanks be to God we can come together now, still with some restrictions which we have all learned to accept & cope with during the last 12 months. So I say welcome to you all, both our weekly participants and those who are visiting with us or who have been away from Mass for whatever reason. The forgiveness of God is extended to us all, to saints and sinners alike (and aren’t we all a bit of both?). What a great blessing it is to me and to Deacon Pat & Joan Berigan, to see you all this weekend and to celebrate with joy the rising of Christ and the promise of our own resurrection from death. How important this reality is to us, especially after we, along with so many others throughout the world, have suffered the loss of loved ones because of the COVID-19 virus. Though we mourn the death of parishioners, family members & friends because of this world-wide scourge, we live in hope for our health and for the new life of all who have gone before us. Let us remember, let us hope and let us pray.

I am also grateful to all those who worked at our Fish Fry’s these past few weeks. Though we had to limit them to take out orders, we had a tremendous turn out & the food was just as delicious at home. The only thing missing of course was our ability to share these meals together, but we live in hope that such gatherings will be possible again next year, if not much sooner. But again, thanks to all of you who stopped by to support us and thanks to all who served our community in any way through the Fish Fry’s.

At the end of January, I celebrated the funeral Mass for Ralph Mlady, a wonderful man who had been an active member of our parish for many years. Ralph had a special devotion to St. Francis of Assisi & as you know we have a statue of St. Francis right outside the church door by the chapel entrance. Ralph’s wife Loretta approached me with a wonderful idea...since we already had a statue of St. Francis, could we honor Ralph by adding some animals around the man who loved all of God’s creation, especially animals, as can be seen from various pieces of art which show Francis surrounded by birds, wolves, and other creatures of God. So that is what we did and I know Ralph is smiling at the thoughtful suggestion of his wife. It’s rather subtle that he is surrounded by such creatures of God’s making until you approach the statue & see the deer (along with her fawn), the raccoon, the wolf eyeing the deer (don’t worry...Francis is said to have spoken to a wolf & he will protect the wolf’s natural prey), and the birds perched on Francis’s hand & shoulder. You’ll also notice my own particular nod to Michaela & Abby! Even the Easter Bunny can be seen with it’s young offspring. What a great time of year to enjoy this scene as we welcome spring and remember that all of creation joins in the praise of God at Easter.

Pastor's Column for March 28, 2021

I have begun to notice an increase of people attending Mass which I attribute to more & more people feeling comfortable being out in public after they have received the vaccine. So let me first say to you, welcome back! It may have been months or even over a year since some of you were last here and we are thrilled to have you join us physically again. This is a good opportunity for me to encourage anyone who has been away from church to return now, but also to let you know that the dispensation still remains in effect for those who do not feel comfortable or ready to come back yet. Let us pray that as more people receive the vaccine and the spread of the virus continues to decrease, that life may return to some sort of normalcy in the weeks & months ahead. It’s been a difficult year that is now behind us, and we continue to grieve the loss of those who have died from the coronavirus and to pray for those whose health has been compromised as a result of it. But let us pray with hope and gratitude that we may live in good health and freedom as spring is in the air and the memory of the Crucified but Risen Christ is brought to the front of our minds. 

With that, I invite you to take or receive palms that will be available for this “Palm” or “Passion” Sunday (so named as it is the first time this week the Passion story of Jesus’s suffering & death will be proclaimed, the second time being on Good Friday). 

Our full Holy Week schedule is available in the parish bulletin & on our website, but I’ll invite you now to join us especially for the “Sacred Triduum” or the sacred three days which make up the holiest days of the year. On Holy Thursday, the Mass of the Lord’s Supper will begin at 7pm. Though we will not have the washing of the feet this year which reminds us of what our Lord did to express his life of service at the Last Supper, we will still celebrate the gift of the Eucharist given on this day to the Church. The Blessed Sacrament will be moved from the main body of the church and placed on the altar in the chapel area at the end of Mass and the church will remain open for one hour after Mass for those who wish to sit and contemplate the meaning of this day. 

On Good Friday, the church will be open from 9am until after our 7pm Service and you are welcome to come and pray in the church at any time. Stations of the Cross will be prayed at 3pm and the Solemn Celebration of the Lord’s Passion will be at 7pm. The Veneration of the Cross will take place, however we ask that you adore the Cross either with a bow or genuflection instead of a kiss or touch. Holy Communion will be offered as usual during this Service. 

The Blessing of Food will take place on Holy Saturday at 11:30am. The Easter Vigil will be at 8:30pm on Saturday but no candles will be used by those in the congregation. Mass on Easter Sunday will be at 8am and 11am. There will be no 9:30am Mass this year as we continue to anticipate a smaller crowd than usual this year. We look forward to your presence as we marvel at the Presence of the Lord who died and rose so that we will never be alone. 

Pastor's Column for March 21, 2021

I am grateful to report that I have not had any symptoms since last weekend. Though I tested positive for COVID-19 on March 10th, I have not had a fever and have been feeling very well for the past week. For the first few days I did experience exhaustion and slept quite a bit during the day as well as throughout the night. My appetite was reduced for a few days but has returned to normal. Following the CDC guidelines, I can end home isolation after at least 10 days since symptoms first appeared and there is no fever so that is why I made the decision to celebrate Mass this weekend (even though I will not be distributing Holy Communion). As always, I am deeply grateful for your prayers. My thoughts and prayers continue to remain with those who have not been as fortunate as I to have gotten through this pandemic.

It saddened me greatly to hear of the death of two parishioners whose funerals I was not able to celebrate due to my own illness at the time. In fact, the last day I celebrated morning Mass, I informed the people of the impending death of David Venditti, who had been suffering from COVID-19 for several weeks & who was being taken off of the ventilator. I had made arrangements the night before to have David anointed and receive the last rites by one of the priests of the Diocese who generously volunteered to administer the sacraments to those suffering from the virus, so I asked for the prayers of those present at Mass that morning, knowing that David would be receiving the last rites that same morning. I asked Fr. Dan Schlegel to celebrate his funeral Mass as he has known the family since his time here. David was an usher who would always be seen serving his ministry in a suit and tie. He brought his father Armand here for Mass when Armand was up to it (Armand and his daughter also battled COVID-19 but both were able to recover from it). David was always a very kind and gentle man who served quietly and faithfully. I extend our sympathies to his father Armand and his sister Pat and to all the members of Venditti family who are mourning David’s passing at this time.

The second parishioner who passed while I was ill was Jeffrey Schigel who died suddenly and unexpectedly. Jeff was married to Janet for 39 years and together they had 3 children and a grandchild. Jeff also had two sisters and a deceased brother. He enjoyed coaching his daughters for many years and was active with our CYO here at St. Leo’s. Jeff was not someone whom I knew well but who was always very kind and supportive of me and I will miss seeing him. Jeff’s funeral Mass was celebrated last Saturday & I ask you to remember him and his wife and children in your prayers. It is hard enough for me to celebrate the funerals of parishioners, but even harder when I cannot do so due to illness. 

As I look ahead on my calendar, I am in disbelief that Holy Week begins next weekend with the celebration of Palm Sunday. Though the pandemic will find us celebrating Holy Week a bit differently this year, I am grateful that we can still celebrate these important rites after a year when they were all suspended. I’ll include more information in next week’s bulletin but can assure you that palms will be distributed and our Catholic rites celebrated in the days to come. 

Pastor's Column for March 14, 2021

This past Tuesday, I felt very weak while celebrating the 8:30am Mass. I did not get much sleep the night before, something that just happens to me from time to time, despite my efforts to go to bed & wake up at the same time every day in order to be in sync with my circadian rhythm (that sounds pretty medical when I see it in print). Anyway, I then went out to breakfast with the Berigan’s, something I rarely do anymore due to my intermittent fasting (now I’m really sounding like a health nut), but I couldn’t eat even half the meal. I grew more & more exhausted during the day & then had a temperature of 100°. Out of an abundance of caution, I cancelled the remaining weekday Masses and went to get a COVID test first thing Wednesday morning. Since my first vaccine shot 3 weeks, I had a small cough for just a couple of days & had the chills a few times though these were mild & didn’t last long at all. While I’m still waiting for the results of the COVID test, I’m confident I do not have the coronavirus but again, don’t want to take any chances with making anyone else ill. I’ll know by the time you read this what the results of my test are but again I want you to know that I would not do anything to put any of you at risk. I want to give you what information I have & ask that you continue to join me in prayer for all those who have fallen victim to this pandemic.

This Friday, March 19th, is the feast of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Actually, it is considered a “Solemnity” which means it ranks high above all other feasts in the Church. And so the requirement to abstain from meat on the Fridays within the season of Lent is dispensed for that day. If you chose to make use of this special dispensation, you are encouraged to choose another day during this week to abstain from meat as part of your Lenten observance.

On this solemnity, it is the custom in some places to bless bread, pastries & other food & to give a large portion of it to the poor. A family ritual for this St. Joseph’s Table blessing may be fond on the Office for Worship website which is part of dioceseofcleveland.org. 

Pope Francis recalls the 150th anniversary of the declaration of St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. So the Holy Father has proclaimed a “Year of St. Joseph” from this past December 8, 2020 until December 8, 2021. It was Blessed Pope Pius IX’s declaration of St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church which Pope Francis is recalling here. Pepe Francis wrote an Apostolic Letter entitled Patris Corde (translated “With a Father’s Heart”) in which he described St. Joseph as a beloved father, a tender and loving father, an obedient father, an accepting father; a father who is creatively courageous, a working father, a father in the shadows.” The Pope wrote this letter against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic which he says has helped us see more clearly the importance of ordinary people who, though far from the limelight, exercise patience and offer hope every day. St. Joseph is “the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence,” who nonetheless played “an incomparable role in the history of salvation.”

Pastor's Column for March 7, 2021

I extend our parochial sympathy to Sharon Strodtbeck and to her 4 children on the passing of her husband and their father Neal or “Nique” as he was known to many. I met Neal a few years back when he was asked to be a Confirmation sponsor for his grandson, also named Neal. He shared with me his faith and how he enjoyed reading the Old Testament and listened to people talk about the Bible. So at his funeral Mass I expressed the hope that he read from the Old Testament book of Wisdom, a popular passage that his wife chose for his funeral wherein the scriptures say, “The souls of the just are in the hand of God...and they are in peace.” Neal has a connection with my family because he is my brother-in-law’s uncle. I’m glad that I had the opportunity to know & visit with him and his wife Sharon. May they both be filled with peace.

And here we are into March, a month that I welcome even though we’re never sure if it will really enter like a lion and exit like a lamb. So far it seemed to enter like a lamb so let’s hope it goes out the same way. The weather seems to be warming up and we are seeing the melting of the white stuff so let’s hope the trend continues until we see the sun more than part-time.

Congratulations to the parents of Dominic Hunter who will be baptized this Saturday. May they express their gratitude to God by raising him in the practice of the faith, which is also God’s gift to us. 

This Monday, March 8th, we will have our 3rd Zoom meeting, open to all parishioners, where we continue our discussion of the book, “Forming Intentional Disciples.” I’ve spoken in homilies about this book which I read last year and which stresses the importance of being raised in the Catholic Faith not just through cultural norms like receiving the sacraments and getting a religious education, but of developing a personal relationship with the Lord who invites us into friendship. It is a surprising and sad fact that so many Catholics were not taught this all-important dimension of faith, much to the neglect of Church leaders like myself. Instead we so focused on the rules of religion (all of which are still important and necessary) without the underlying foundation of knowing the Lord personally and experiencing his love. That’s what this book (and our discussion) is all about. You need not have read the book (though it’s free for anyone who would like one...just contact the rectory office), nor do you need to have followed our discussion from the beginning. Just join us, either live Monday evening from 6:30-7:30pm or watch it any time on demand based on your schedule and convenience. All you need to do to join us is go to our website and click the link. You do not need to be familiar with Zoom at all if you’re just going to watch the video on demand..again, just click the link on our website after the discussion has taken place. Deacon Pat and Joan & I are doing what we can to encourage and nurture your relationship with the Lord so that you may know what we continue to experience each day: the joy of knowing we are loved, forgiven and guided in every moment of our lives.